For some 30 years the Guardian Weekly has been loyally following me across France and now Italy. When in a recent issue one of the clues to the quick crossword was "The capital of Sardinia", I decided it was time to make my presence known. Who would know it is Cagliari without living on this "out of time" island, as I do?

The Weekly has been my refresher course in English, as well as a source of cosmopolitan information. I cherish it for the quality of its prose and its will to evolve with the times. Although I must admit I do miss the wafer-thin, crackly paper, I find, especially of late, its format to be wider in scope. For instance, I enjoy Oliver Burkeman's articles and the following What I'm Really Thinking … It shows the Guardian's imagination. I truly appreciate the brevity and ingenuity of In praise of … The book reviews are my reading guide and I thank you a hundred-fold for the 2013 Books of the Year.

Initially I found the Eyewitness page to be too glaring, but have come to appreciate its variety and power of image. I shall never forget the photo of the mass Indian wedding (19th image from top) and the resignation in the women's eyes. Only a picture can convey this sad message so strongly.

It has been my teaching tool for university students. The articles (source always cited) provide a wealth of subjects for material in many fields of study.

I have at times been tempted to contribute to the Letter From … column, but I am not sure I could give, in only one column, a thorough enough idea of a country with its quirks and without superficiality and cliches. There is so much to say about Europe.

I thank all the fine staff and contributors, past and present, of the GW for sending me intelligent writing and views. I do not have any favourites but do miss some, such as Martin Kettle. When people say that the Guardian was the one to break the news on such and such, I am proud to reply that I am a subscriber.